Owelle Rochas Okorocha, Governor of Imo StateGovernor Rochas: Declare State Of Emergency in State Public Schools ~ By Nwaorgu Faustinus
Though the 2011general elections in Imo state have come and gone, with particular reference to the governorship polls where the people’s candidate, Rochas Okorocha defeated the incumbent governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim who did not leave any stone unturned in opening his frightful financial political muscle in order to perpetuate himself in office, which of course did fail. What is the trend now are the comments, analyses, advice, suggestions, opinions and articles against and for the legality behind the dissolution of the 27 LGAs by the new administration in Imo State.
Primary School Pupils. Photo Credit: Imo State Blog
Now that the parties involved (the state government and the dissolved Council LGAs) are locked in a legal battle over the dissolution of the Council Areas, which is the constitutional thing to do, one can not forget in a hurry the first casualties of Oweelle Rochas’s action as he assumed office which political analysts and observers say will ever remain indelible in the minds of many. The court having taken over thecase, there should be cessation of comments because a case or dispute as the above is not trashed out on pages of newspapers or internet based media sites but in a competent court of law.The kernel of this piece is the challenges or Herculean tasks that stare the state government in the face with respect to the education sector, which are multifaceted given the lean resources at its prudent use. One major area Chief Rochas Okorocha must take proactive step to revolutionalize is the education sector among other sectors. The importance of education is so invaluable that any state, society country or nation cannot toy with it. Education without mincing words is enlightenment and avenue of advancement which ought to be sustained for generation as according to Sunday Atomode, “it is a legacy which when bestowed cannot be withdrawn on any account except perhaps through inhuman degradation of brainwashing or disease that cause memory lost”. Therefore, education remains the upholder of the expectation, hope and yearnings for the poorest of the poor of society.Without doubt, it is the eternal bequest any society, government,administration or nation can give its citizen or natives. It istherefore a commendable first step taken by the governor when heannounced that his government will give free education to primary andsecondary school students as well as review downwards school fees paidin higher institutions as part of his party’s campaign promise andeducation policy.To achieve its education policy, the security votes of the Governor,Deputy Governor, the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, the Chief Judge andHouse Members was cut from 6.5 billion naira to 2.5 billion naira.Given the premium the governor attaches to education, unlike previousadministrations, he toured many several primary and secondary schoolsto have first hand information about the state of affairs in theeducational institutions which are in great pathetic situation,capable of making one sigh, sad and wonder why the schools are the waythey are.Given the deplorable state of most public primary and secondaryschools in Imo State, one wonders if the free education policy of thecurrent administration is a way of declaring a state of emergency inthat sector. If it is not, a total war should be unleashed in thesector bearing in mind the mammoth decay in our citadels of learningacross the various Local Government Areas. A visit to most schoolswill reveal great decay in infrastructure such as school buildings,libraries, classrooms, toilets, laboratories among others. Amala/NtuSecondary School in Ngor/Okpala LGA can be used as a good referencepoint of a school that has witnessed infrastructural decay and neglectby previous administration on one hand and vandalization at the other.Apart from these, there is depopulation of staff and students’population in many rural primary and secondary schools, inadequateteaching materials and seats. In the time past, it was a tradition orpolicy of the government to equip schools with seats but today moststudents, if not all go to market to purchase seats they use inschool.In addition to free education given to primary and secondary schoolstudents, the present administration should as a matter of urgencyrenovate and build new structures that will accommodate new students,poor students who dropped out of school and students who will leaveprivate schools soon for public schools as a result of theintroduction of free education in the state. Similarly, old or nonfunctional principal and teachers quarters should be renovated and newones built to accommodate some categories of teachers. Furthermore,the governor should put a programme of action in place with a view tomaking it compulsory for teachers to live in the school environment inorder to monitor the behaviour of students apart from being availableto assist them solve academic problems that are related to subjectsthey teach. Their salary should be paid as at when due and promotionextended to deserving ones to encourage them put in their best.On the issue of limited number of staff in some primary and secondaryschools, the state government should deploy more teachers to schoolswhere their services are needed as there are schools that lackteachers who will teach certain subjects. Lateness to school shouldnot be tolerated as there should be mechanism put in place to monitorteachers. In this regard, unscheduled visits should be paid to schoolswhere the culture of late coming has been established with a view topunishing culprits to serve as a deterrent to others. If need be,teachers who are perpetual late comers should be dismissed. Studentswho come to school late should also be punished adequately todiscourage others from doing the same.Security in and around state public schools especially primary andsecondary schools should be encouraged by way of providing securityguards for the schools to protect life and property. Apart fromsecurity, the state government should equip libraries, introductorytechnology workshops, science laboratories among others in statepublic schools. It is now the trend to set up computer laboratories toencourage the teaching of computer in primary and secondary schools.The state government should key into this by establishing computerlaboratory in the schools.There should be training and retraining of teachers so as to gaineffective means of imparting knowledge into the students. This will goalong way in making the students to compete favourably with theircounterparts abroad.Finally, the state government if need be, should borrow a leaf fromthe education policy of Rivers State government if the words of Mr.Abdulwaheed Omar, President of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) is anything to go by. According to him, "As a professional teacher I cantestify that the new schools built by the administration are areflection of focused leadership. As a teacher I am highly impressedwith this kind of school facilities provided by the Rivers StateGovernment for its children."It could be recalled that governor Amaechi declared state of emergencyin the education sector when he assumed the administration of RiversState. Today, he has given a facelift to the sector. Nwao(r)gu, Faustinus Chilee writes from Igboetche, Port Harcourt,
Rivers State. Mobile: +2348035601312.
Email:ngorokpalaresearcher@yahoo.com